Steller Landscapes

Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) is a no‑fuss Oregon native shrub. Typically growing 1.5 to 6 feet tall and rounded, it spreads by suckers. Its wavy, opposite leaves give it a soft woodland look, while tiny pink‑white flowers feed pollinators in spring and summer. By late season, those blooms turn into the plant’s iconic white berries, which hang on through winter, offering cold‑season forage for birds before eventually softening and fading.
Snowberry is another great option for erosion control. Its dense, spreading root system knits soil together on slopes, streambanks, and disturbed sites, making it a dependable stabilizer in tough conditions. Thriving in sun to part shade and tolerating poor soils, drought, and urban environments, it’s a tough, go-anywhere native for habitat gardens, hedgerows, and restoration projects. For vigorous regrowth and abundant berries, it can be cut back to the ground in early spring.
Snowberry is a resilient shrub that adds value to wildlife and provides erosion control, making it an indispensable component of the landscape.

False Solomon’s seal is a great choice for homeowners looking to bring stability and natural beauty to shady areas of their yard. Its spreading rhizomes help hold soil in place on slopes and woodland edges, reducing erosion while creating a soft, layered groundcover. In spring, arching stems are topped with delicate, fragrant white flower plumes, followed by red berries that attract birds through fall. This low‑maintenance native thrives in partial to full shade and rich, well‑drained soils, making it an easy, dependable plant for creating a healthy, resilient understory in any shaded garden.

Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) is a hardy native shrub that thrives in shady woodland edges and disturbed sites, forming dense thickets that stabilize soil and provide cover for wildlife. Its large white flowers attract pollinators in spring, while soft red berries ripen in summer, feeding birds, mammals, and people. Thornless and shade-tolerant, thimbleberry is valued for erosion control and supporting wildlife.

The subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) is a distinctive evergreen tree, recognized for its tall, narrow, spire-like form and fuzzy, upright, and often purple cones. Predominantly found in the mountainous regions of western North America, especially near the timberline in the Olympic, Cascade, and Rocky Mountains, this member of the Abies family thrives in cool, moist, and snowy environments with short growing seasons. Adapted to deep snow and persistent coolness, subalpine firs favor regions with narrow temperature ranges and consistently humid, chilly conditions, maintaining their iconic form in these unique climates. In forests where subalpine firs dominate, they provide shelter for wildlife, and their seeds are a tasty treat for birds and small mammals.
Reaching heights up to 100 feet, their dense, drooping branches and upward-curving needles create the appearance of green waves, while their showy cones disintegrate when mature to disperse seeds widely to grow the next generation of this evergreen.

The subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) is a distinctive evergreen tree, recognized for its tall, narrow, spire-like form and fuzzy, upright and often purple cones. Predominantly found in the mountainous regions of western North America, especially near the timberline in the Olympic, Cascade, and Rocky Mountains, this member of the Abies family thrives in cool, moist, and snowy environments with short growing seasons. Adapted to deep snow and persistent coolness, subalpine firs favor regions with narrow temperature ranges and consistently humid, chilly conditions, maintaining their iconic form in these unique climates. In forests where subalpine firs dominate, they provide shelter for wildlife, and their seeds are a tasty treat for birds and small mammals.
Reaching heights up to 100 feet, their dense, drooping branches and upward-curving needles create the appearance of green waves, while their showy cones disintegrate when mature to disperse seeds widely to grow the next generation of this evergreen.

Edit: we finished this way back in March! Install a short yet very long retaining wall. Added a whole bunch of white river rock.
Oh yeah, we also widened the front bed, removed some rhododendrons, and added agave plants under the window.

Turn your backyard into a habitat for wildlife.
All animals need food, water, shelter, and space to live. As the human population continues to grow, and more of our remaining areas are converted into homes, businesses, and roadways, it is easy to forget that we share this land with wildlife. However, with a few adjustments and additions to your yard or garden, you can provide a haven for birds, butterflies, reptiles, small mammals, and other wildlife in your area.

Call us today for more information. (503) 772-1832

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Wildlife & Water Friendly Gardens: FREE Series 2025 Learn to modify your gardening practices to benefit and attract wildlife, all while protecting the health of our watersheds.

Mahonia aquifolium, Tall Oregon Grape, in its natural environment. What kind of wildlife use this plant for food or shelter?

Oregon grape, with its holly-like leaves, splashes a little year-round holiday cheer in forests and woods of the West.